


You Are My New Dream

by the_mutated_knight



Category: Dragon Age II, Tangled!AU Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M, im not great at tags so ill update as i go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-09-18 04:45:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9368528
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_mutated_knight/pseuds/the_mutated_knight
Summary: Ryder Hawke has been a part of the Red Thorns thieving group as long as he could remember. He never knew his real parents, but never really thought to find out who they were. He was content with his adopted brother, sister, and father. Plus, being a thief wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be, as long as you knew how to do it correctly. His only wish was to make the group he was in proud, and he was sure he could do that.Fenris has only known Danarius. Nothing in his life truly felt like his own, and he longed to be free of it all. He never knew what his life should have been until he hears about a certain someone - his sister. The one thing of his life that was his own, that was actually supposed to be part of his life. How he was going to find her, Fenris didn't know. Leaving the tower Danarius lived in was dangerous enough as it is.As unlikely as it sounds, these two met, and one simple crown would change everything.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> If you catch any mistakes, please tell me!
> 
> Find me here on my tumblr --> http://the-wolf-and-the-hawk.tumblr.com/

This is the story of how I died.

 

Don't worry! This is actually a very fun story, and the truth is, it isn't even mine. It's about an elf named Fenris, and it starts with a mother in a small, poor village.

 

Once upon a time, a woman whose name has unfortunately been forgotten had her second child. The first child, who was only five at the time, was a young girl whose name was Varania.

 

Remember that name - she's important later.

 

The second and newborn child was her son, Fenris. Of course, that's not actually what she named him, but you'll figure out more about that later.

 

Well, a hop, skip, and a boat ride away, there grew a kingdom, and the kingdom was ruled by a beloved king and queen. The queen was going to have a baby, but she was sick... really sick. She was running out of time, and that's when people usually start to look for a miracle.

 

That 'miracle'?

 

His name was Danarius.

 

See, this old bastard was a wizard - A wizard known for his incredible powers and crazy ideas. He was legend, really, and people were desperate to find him and ask for his aid in healing the queen.

 

This old man was a sadistic, horrible, cruel, disgusting, crummy, ugly, despisable, gross, terrible, masochistic--

 

Oh, I'm sorry, I went too far there. Can you tell I hate him?

 

This old man was insane, to put it lightly. He had too many ideas, and one of them (and his favorite, I might add... An obsession, even) involved living subjects. He'd tried animals - none of them survived. Now people were finding him, asking for his aid with the queen, and he would give them an offer.

 

Survive his ritual, and he would make a tonic for them to take back to their queen.

 

Time and time again, they died during the ritual or left out of fear for their lives.

 

This made the wizard restless. He knew what he had to do, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do, and the queen's life was his only bribe to get test subjects. He was tired of waiting, and tired of trying to get subjects to come to him.

 

He used magic to travel into the small village where the mother and her two children lived, and he just so happened to break into their house.

 

The mother and her children were asleep, and in one quick swipe, he took the smallest child into his arms. He did so gently and quietly, as not to wake the child or anyone else in the home, and left as quickly as he came. They didn't find out until morning when the wizard was long gone.

 

This child was Fenris.

 

Or at least that's what Danarius named him. He put it upon himself to raise the baby boy as his own, and through the trust he gained from believing this wizard was his father, he would try the ritual on him. Because of his plan, he was able to ease his own conscious and approach the queen directly. He gave her a tonic from the nectar of a flower he claimed had healing powers and had come from a drop of sun. Whether it was made from the flower or not, no one really knew.

 

The tonic worked. A healthy baby boy - a prince - was born days after. To celebrate his birth, the king and queen launched a flying lantern into the sky.

 

Danarius was rewarded handsomely for his services, he had Fenris as a test subject, and he was (thankfully to the king and queen) taking his leave. He was thought to be gone within the hour after the celebration, and for that one moment, everything was perfect.

 

And then that moment ended.

 

Danarius was not satisfied.

 

He was greedy, cruel, and in no way a pleasant guy to invite to your castle. Ever. Not only that, but he never seemed to have enough test subjects…

 

He broke into the palace, stole the prince, and just like that. Gone.

 

The kingdom searched and searched, but they could not find the prince. So every year, on his birthday, the king and queen released thousands of lanterns into the sky in hope that one day their lost prince would return.

 

What happened to the prince after Danarius stole him, you wonder? I won't tell you that now, but just know he never ended up meeting Fenris, and Fenris was never told he existed.

 

So, Danarius raised Fenris alone and kept him inside claiming, "The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people" and that he should stay with him "where it's safe". Fenris believed him. What he didn't know was that this was a lie, and he was only kept inside so no one could find him.

 

The old wizard lured others to his cabin with promises of jobs of great payment, and used them until Fenris was old enough to go through with the ritual. Of course, everyone before him had died per usual. Sometimes, I'm not sure if he killed them just to keep his sanity until Fenris could do the ritual.

 

When Fenris was 10, he insisted he wanted to help his 'father' with this ritual. Danarius agreed, of course, and put him through it. The pain was so great that Fenris forgot everything of his childhood with Danarius, the world he saw outside his windows, the books he'd read, the horror of Danarius' previous experiments, everything. He woke up without a thought in his mind, and Danarius changed his entire demeanor towards him. Fenris had survived, and as soon as he'd spoke the old shitstain knew he didn't remember a thing.

 

Danarius told Fenris that he was his master and that he would serve him without a question in his mind. He was no longer considered the man's son, but his slave. Fenris never knew of anything else, and simply followed orders. He was able to accompany Danarius to towns and villages, being his bodyguard. He was dressed as a show thing when people came to visit, and an intimidating brute in the towns. This elf was not to be messed with, and the townspeople who saw him knew that well enough. They avoided him and never spoke to him, making sure to keep their distance.

 

Not only that, but Danarius still claimed the outside world was somewhere Fenris should never go - not without him. It was filled with ‘dangerous people’ who would ‘hurt’ him if he wasn’t careful and followed Danarius exactly when they left home. Fenris never did try to leave without Danarius’ permission, believing what he said, just as he did with everything else.

 

This was his life, and he knew no different until he overheard Danarius speaking with a visitor by the name of Hadriana, who mentioned Fenris. He eavesdropped when he heard his name, and they spoke of Varania. They said she was his sister.

 

See? I told you she was important.

 

They spoke of her and how she had grown into a woman who lived in the kingdom of Kirkwall. A seamstress, he heard her say, and how she was asking about her brother. Danarius told her that Fenris didn't know about his sister, and that he knew nothing of freedom. Fenris would never try to find her, Danarius assured Hadriana, but Fenris knew the contrary.

 

Fenris did know freedom. He'd seen it as he walked by Danarius' side through villages and towns. He knew what it looked like to own a shop, to walk hand in hand with your child, your parent, and what it looked like to dance around the square with your best friend. He knew what love looked like. He knew what family looked like. All of those things were freedom. Love, compassion, business, family, it was free. It was wild and spontaneous and wonderful and he felt none of it with Danarius, but he'd seen it with his own eyes. He wanted to feel it, and Varania, his sister, was his way to find out what it felt like to be free.

 

He wanted to meet her, but how to leave Danarius without him finding out, he wasn't sure how he'd accomplish it.

 

Not until he met me. Whose 'me'?

 

 _My_ name is Ryder Hawke, and you're about to learn just how terrible a headache I got when I first met Fenris.

 

* * *

 

It was a quick get-in-get-out kind of job. Ryder was good at those. He was doing it with his brother, Carver, and his sister, Bethany. Bethany was the brains, Carver was the brawn, and Ryder was just the guy who actually grabbed what they needed. He never really found a place in the heists other than that, although he was very good at sneaking around and stealth killing. Those were his specialties, so he was very good at jobs such as this.

 

"I could get used to a view like this," Ryder mused, looking over the kingdom of Kirkwall with a smile as he stood on the roof of it’s palace.

 

"Don't get started, brother," Carver hissed, looking over to the eldest of the three, "Don't even get started."

 

"I want a castle, Carver."

 

Carver rolled his eyes, "We'll get a castle if you can get the damned crown."

 

"Stop fighting," Bethany snapped, glaring at them both, "If we want to get the crown, we have to do it soon. The guard rotations are about to start at the chime of the clock and Ryder is bound to be seen during that time, so we need to get Ryder in and back out  now."

 

"Right... sorry, Bethany," Carver sighed, handing the end of the rope they had to Ryder, "Make sure this it tied around your waist tight enough to hold you up, brother. We're not losing you because of a stupid metal hoop."

 

"Glad to know you care about me, brother," Ryder laughed, doing what Carver had told him to as quickly as he could.

 

Bethany used a bit of magic to melt the edges of a window panel, popping it out of place when she'd melted it enough to slip her fingers into the molten glass and pull it up. She was wearing protective gloves, of course, so she didn't hurt herself. She looked into the throne room, looking at how the guards were positioned. She sighed in relief when she noticed none of them would see Ryder descend from the ceiling, as they had to stay at their posts.

"Ready, Bethy," Ryder whispered, nodding, "Please don't drop me."

 

"We won't," Carver assured softly, "Now get down there."

 

His siblings took the rope in hand as Ryder took a deep breath and jumped through the empty spot in the ceiling. He kept falling, which scared him a bit, but the rope was pulled taught right before he made it halfway to the floor of the throne room. The place was huge and extravagant, and he'd never seen a place so fancy in his life. The guards here were much better armed than the guardsmen in town, and he took note of that. He'd have to do this silently as possible.

 

Together, Bethany and Carver lowered him farther into the room, straight towards the crown, which sat on a red pillow atop a pedestal. It was a golden crown with simplistic designs, the most complicated of which being the symbol of the kingdom on the front and center of it, but the design most notable was the alternating square cut rubies and diamonds wrapping around the middle of it. That was what made this piece so valuable, and that's why his group wanted it so badly.

 

When he was close enough, he opened the top of the satchel he had around his shoulder. He reached a careful hand down and grabbed the crown. When he had a hand on it, he looked up to the guards. None of them had moved so he quickly stuffed it into the satchel, closing the top and giving a thumbs up to Carver and Bethany, who were looking down at him. They began to pull him back up to the roof.

 

They almost got him there. Bethany's grip failed her for a moment, and that moment was all it took. Ryder began to fall back down into the throne room, but she grabbed it again to help Carver as he yelled her name in anger.

 

The sound of Carver's voice alerted the guards within the throne room, and they drew their swords. They moved from their positions, looking around. The twins worked together as best they could to pull Ryder back up to the roof, but they didn't manage it before one guard had the thought to look up.

 

"There!" They heard, and Ryder scrambled back to the roof.

 

"Damn it, Bethany!" Carver hissed as he pulled Ryder to his feet. Bethany cut the rope off his waist with one of Ryder's own daggers then grabbed his hand to get him running.

 

They slid down the side of the roof as Bethany yelled, "It's not my fault you wanted Ryder to go down there instead of me! I'm lighter than he is!"

 

"Rude!" Ryder huffed, jumping over to a smaller part of the castle roof and then to a village roof.

 

"You would have made too much noise, Bethany, and you know it!" Carver retorted, ignoring Ryder as they hopped from roof to roof.

 

The guard whistle rang, and that caused the three to run faster. Ryder saw the bridge that lead into the woods and pointed to it, "We need to get down. If we get back in our own territory they'll never find us."

 

"Right," Bethany said, speeding up to catch her brothers' arms.

 

Carver groaned in annoyance as she did. He hated it when she used teleportation magic. Ryder, however, smiled in delight.

 

Bethany counted from three to one, and they jumped all together. Using her magic, she took the three of them from mid air to just above the middle of the bridge. They landed as if they hadn't moved and continued running, Carver taking a look behind them to see if they were still being followed.

 

"I think they know we’re leaving the city, brother," Carver pointed out as their feet hit the grass.

 

"Don't worry about it," Ryder assured him, "We'll lose them in here!"

 

The farther into the forest they got, the more comfortable they were. They made it to the small cliff-like area of the forest, and Carver reached for Bethany to put her at the top of it first. She immediately smacked his hand away and pointed to Ryder, who seemed a bit shocked at the sudden finger in his face.

 

“He has the crown, Carver,” she pointed out, “If someone has to get out of here, it’s him!”

 

Carver looked to Ryder for a short moment before he growled in annoyance, huffing, “Fine, fine, get over here, brother.”

 

Ryder nodded and let his brother and sister lift him up to the cliff. He grabbed the edge and yanked himself up as he heard the sound of angry mabari barking behind them. He felt panic build in his chest as he looked down at the two standing under him, and he barely got their names out as he got down on the ground to reach a hand to them.

 

“Please, one of you, take my hand, we can still--” Ryder began, not wanting to know what would happen if either of them got caught.

 

“Run,” Bethany cut him off, voice oddly calm for the situation they were in as she gently pushed his hand back up the cliff as the sound of horse’s hooves and mabari’s feet drew closer, “I can get Carver and I out of here, if all comes to fail, but you need to lose them. They’re too close, and this was my last resort. I’ve already exerted too much mana already, but if it gets Carver and I out, I’ll use it.”

 

“Oh, great,” Carver huffed, “We’re leaving Ryder with the most valuable thing we’ve ever stolen. Alone. Perfect - just perfect.”

 

“I can’t get us back to camp, but I can get us somewhere far away as long as you promise to watch while I rest afterwards,” Bethany told Carver, grabbing his wrist.

 

After a moment of quick and anxious contemplation, Carver said, “Do it. Go, brother, you know the way back from here. If they catch you, you know what to do.”

 

“Right,” Ryder nodded, standing up and turning around.

 

He burst into a full sprint as the brush behind him shifted and snapped under the weight of mabari jumping through as well as horses and their men. He heard the familiar, magical zap that proved that Bethany and Carver were gone.

 

It was just him now, and he’d have to make due with what he had on him. They had planned to rest somewhere here for the night, but he’d have to find other accommodations to hide himself from plain sight now. If anyone knew who he was, they’d take him back to the palace to be arrested and more than likely executed. Hiding was his first priority for now.

 

Usually, it took a day or two for things to cool down regarding his steals, but this was a big one. He wasn’t sure how long he’d need to hide out before it was alright to show his face in public again. This was lingering in his mind as he ran as far as he could, not caring about fatigue or shortness of breath as he went. If he could get away from the guards, far, far away from the guards, he’d be alright. He wasn’t even sure they were still coming after him, but at least he’d be away.

 

He ended up passing out in a tree after sprinting on and off until the moon rose in the sky. There was no harm in getting as far as he could, and running was the best way to get farther faster. Good thing he had a full canteen when he started out.

 

When he woke the next morning, Ryder set out once again, taking a more leisurely pace and looking more for a building he could hide out in for one more day, just to be comfortable while he hid. Abandoned buildings were preferred, but he’d take what he could get if he really had to.

 

Thankfully for him, he found what he was looking for. Always, _always_ look behind the suspiciously placed curtain of vines. He’d almost passed over them as he looked around, trying to find some sort of town or the right path back to his original bandits encampment. But they were there, plain as day, overhanging what looked like a cave. He didn’t hesitate too long to move over to them and pull them aside, looking into the cave to see if there was an obvious end to it.

 

There was, and it was filled with sunlight. The cave, which was more of a tunnel, opened up at the end into a large field surrounded on all sides with rock and cliffs. The grass was bright green and soft, unlike the rest of the grass he’d seen today. There were no trees, but many small clusters of yellow, white, and purple flowers, as well as small streams running through the field. It was gorgeous, but the thing that caught his eye was the giant tower smacked right in the center.

 

Moss and vines crawled up it’s grey stone walls, reaching upwards towards sunlight. There was no door on it, and only a single window near the top. Ryder looked at it, trying to find an obvious way in that wouldn’t be a door. Things like these always had their secret entrances, didn’t they?

 

At his quick look over, he didn’t find one, but he made note to find one later when he left, just in case he or his siblings stumbled across this place again. Besides, no one could really be here, right? It’s a single tower in the middle of nowhere. That clearly spelled the word ‘abandoned’ to Ryder.

 

He pulled his dual daggers from his belt, stabbing one into the rock. It was easy enough, so he pulled himself up and stuck in the second, yanking the first out once he had his grip. He managed to do this the entire way up the tower reaching the window with an exhausted huff and a quick pull to get himself inside. He made sure he still had both his daggers once he got his footing on the polished wooden floor, dusting himself and his daggers off as he finally took a good look around.

 

The room was actually quite big. There was a large bed off to the side, complete with a canopy and curtains on the side, which was neatly made and had one small bedside table. There was a vanity with some drawers off to the side, a large ornate mirror attached to it. There was a dresser as well as some armor on a mannequin, and a sword was propped up on a wall next to them both. Ryder whistled when he saw it, noting that it was quite impressive. Large, needing to be wielded with two hands probably, and well made. He’d take it for Carver when he left.

 

There wasn’t much else other than that, to Ryder’s disappointment, so he looked back to the mirror to see himself. He moved over towards it, staring right into his reflection’s golden eyes. He looked to the red stripe of paint across his nose, smiling faintly as he noticed it. Bethany and Carver had one, as well as the rest of his bandit group. It was a telltale sign you had been accepted into their merry thieving band, and Ryder had finally got his drawn on the first time at the age of ten. He still remembered it like it was yesterday, the moment the leader of their group drew his thumb across the bridge of his nose and told him ‘welcome home’. They’d all been so proud of him. They’d all told him he was the youngest person initiated yet. He never really looked in a mirror, so seeing the strip on himself for once filled him with more joy than he thought he’d ever feel.

 

He scratched his beard slightly as soon as he saw it, then looked up to his messy black hair. He hadn’t combed it in a while, but he never usually did anyways. It looked better messy, and nothing would change his opinion on that. He gave himself a smile, laughing softly as he noticed just how ridiculous this seemed. He should stop staring at himself like this. It made him feel awkward even though no one was around.

 

He pulled the satchel in front of him, looking at it before he took the crown from it, holding it in his hands. It made him nervous to hold something so extremely expensive, but he couldn’t help but stare at it’s golden, jewel encrusted surface. Something about it felt... Odd to him, now that he looked at it, and he couldn’t help feeling like he should know more about the crown that he really did.

 

It had been intended to belong to the prince of Kirkwall, who had been stolen away as a baby. Other than that, he knew that it was made of gold, diamonds, and rubies, and that meant money. It wasn’t much, but that information was enough for him and his thieving group to want to steal it. There was only one thing he wanted to do more than sell it however, and this was definitely the time to do it.

 

Ryder turned back to the mirror and lifted up the crown, placing it on his head. He smirked at himself, crossing his arms. Now didn’t he look regal. No one else in the group would know he did it either. It’s not like it lowered the value of the crown or anything, but everyone would definitely laugh at him if they knew he really just wanted to wear this thing around town all the time. It was a dream fulfilled, but a short lived dream.

 

Ryder heard something fall over behind him, and he pulled the crown off his head, putting it back in the satchel and brandishing his weapons in self defense. He didn’t see the cause of the noise immediately, so he put his guard up a bit more. Something had to have been in here to make it fall over, whatever it was, and he was going to wait to see it before he decided to calm down.

 

Unfortunately enough, they got their chance to strike first.

  
From the corner of his eye, he saw someone bolt from the shadows, lift up an old, iron cooking pan, and swiftly bring it down on his head. Emerald green eyes and shocking white hair were the last thing he saw before he crumpled to the floor, daggers falling from his hands as he fell unconscious.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i apologize for this taking so very long!!! its been like... two or three months maybe??? dear creators i am so sorry
> 
> this chapter was very difficult for me to write for whatever reason? im not really sure why, so i apologize for any issues there in terms of flow and such as well! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy it regardless of those things, and im very happy to finally put out this chapter!

Ryder felt the pain in his head first, groaning as he tried to bring it up from its position on his shoulder. It felt heavy, like it was a ball of lead. It wasn’t pleasant. When he tried to move, however, he was restricted. He opened his eyes and found himself sitting in a chair that hadn’t been in the room before. It was nicer than any other chair he’d sat in, which was good, except he was being held to it by rope around his chest, wrists, and ankles. 

 

“Hey!” Ryder yelled, once again trying to pull himself from his confines. Where were his daggers? He could cut the rope with those.

 

“Looking for these?” Came a voice, almost knowingly.

 

Ryder froze, tensing up as he looked around the room, trying to find the source. It was deep and slightly gravely, but not in an unpleasant way. The tone, however, made it feel extremely unpleasant. This person sounded angry and a bit nervous all at once, which was a strange thing to hear. After a short moment of silence, his daggers clattered to the floor next to the bed, and Ryder stared at them for only a second before he let out a yell of surprise.

 

An elf dropped in front of his daggers, the large sword from before gripped tightly in his hands, and pointed right at him. This had to have been the person he’d been hit by - his skin was dark, making his white hair just as bright as it was when he’d gotten half a second’s glance of it. His eyes were that same, very beautiful green, but they glared at him with poison in their wake. 

 

The most notable thing about his appearance, however, were the white brandings beginning on his chin and reaching down to his neck and seemingly past. Ryder hadn’t noticed them in the quick moment of their first encounter, but they stood out against his skin, making them much more obvious now. 

 

“I apologize for hitting you. I do not mean you anymore harm. I must ask, however, who are you?” The elf asked, “And how did you find this place?” 

 

“Apology accepted,” Ryder said quickly, making sure that statement got in before he gave a nervous smile as he said, “I think--” 

 

“Who are you, and how did you find this place. I need an answer.”

 

Ryder frowned, mumbling, “Not the kindest way to greet your guest, now is it?”

 

“You came in through the window. You are no guest.”

 

“That’s hardly fair.”

 

“Answer my questions.”

 

With a reluctant huff, Ryder shook his head and said, “Look, we can go back and forth all day. I’m not telling you who I am until you tell me first. If I have to, I’ll do it.”

 

“I… you’ll do what?” The elf asked, confusion taking over his features, “You are trapped in that chair, which renders you unable to do much.”

 

“You’re going to force my hand… oh, that would have sounded better if you’d told me your name already.”

 

“You’re hopeless.”

 

“Oh, there it is. There it is. I didn’t want to do this but… here comes the smolder.”

 

“The  _ what? _ ”

 

Ryder smirked as he cleared his throat and looked down letting his hair cover his face for a moment before he looked up, pursing his lips just a bit and looking to the elf from the corners of his eyes. This look got him out of many bad situations, mainly with women, so it was worth the try now, wasn’t it?

 

No, no it wasn’t.

 

The elf hit him in the head with the butt of his sword and he was out like a light again.

 

When he woke this time, he was still in his confines, but the elf was in front of him and his sword was still up. He looked less angry this time, as if he’d given himself time to relax. He looked to Ryder when he sat back up straight again.

 

“That was rude…” Ryder grumbled.

 

“I apologize once again for hitting you. I am not sure of your reasoning for… whatever that was, but it was stupider than you realize,” The elf put bluntly, a frown on his face.

 

“Apology accepted… and that’s saved me plenty of times, thank you very much.”

 

“It didn’t this time.”

 

“Yes… the sword in my face really proved it.”

 

The elf’s eyes left Ryder for a moment to rest upon the sword in his hands, hesitating a moment before letting it drop. He set it up against the wall behind him, turning back to Ryder once he’d done so, but leaving his eyes on the floor in front of him. 

 

“Your name,” He demanded.

 

Still on that, were they? Fine.

 

“Ryder. My name is Ryder Hawke.  Now you know me, so who are _ you? _ ”

 

“Fair is fair,” The elf nodded, “I am Fenris… and I must keep you here until my master returns. He will be the one to deal with you.”

 

“Master?” Ryder squinted his eyes a bit as leaned back in his chair, “Slavery is illegal.”

 

“Is it?”

 

“Well, yes, it is. People still practice it regardless, but it still shouldn’t happen.”

 

Fenris frowned and looked out the window, crossing his arms before saying, “Let us drop this. I should not even be speaking to you.”

 

“Look, I have a--” Ryder began before falling silent. 

 

He had a crown to sell. Where was his satchel? Where was the crown? He went stiff for a moment before looking around him best he could, even trying to get the chair to hop around in attempts to see the rest of the room. He ended up causing himself to fall over, which earned a shout from the rogue. This drew Fenris’ eyes back to him, and he ran over to help him sit back up.

 

“What are you--”

 

“The satchel! I had a satchel; where did you put it?”

 

“I hide it.”

 

“Return it to me, and I’ll leave, I swear!”

 

“No.”

 

“Come on!”

 

“It shall be up to my master to decide what to do with it.”

 

“What would you even need it for? It’s just a leather satchel!”

 

It was more than that, obviously, but he had to sell that he was just a measly traveler as much as possible. That would be the best way to save his ass.

 

“The contents beg to differ.”

 

“Shit,” Ryder sighed, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes. Of course he looked inside. He must have been making sure he hadn’t stolen anything. “Look, Fenris, I really need that satchel, with the contents in tact, back. It’s extremely important to me. Anything you want, anything at all, I will do for you in exchange for my satchel.”

 

Fenris stared at him as he spoke, and Ryder realized that his desperation to get back the stolen crown had piqued Fenris’ interest. Ryder simply watched Fenris shift his weight from one foot to the other, contemplating what had just been said to him. He seemed a bit stiff, a little shocked maybe, that he’d offered to do anything in return for his satchel. It was as if he’d never been offered something like that in his life, and it took only a second for Ryder to remember that it was probably true. Fenris must do everything around here. 

 

“You…” Fenris began finally, his eyes flicking up for only a moment to see Ryder before going back to the floor, “You’re offering to do something for  _ me? _ For the satchel?”

 

Ryder nodded furiously, feeling an overwhelming rush of adrenaline as Fenris seemed to contemplate his offer. He even held his breath as he looked at him.

 

“I- how do I say this?” Fenris began, quickly cutting himself off to pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration, “I have a sister, one I have never met. She lives in the capital of Kirkwall. I am assuming you know where that is, based upon the fact you hold a crown from it’s palace in your possession.” 

 

“Yes, I do,” Ryder responded, nodding a bit to show he was listening and finally allowing himself to breathe. 

 

“I… wish to meet her. I wish to leave this wretched place and never return, and try and find out what I was… I was supposed to live like. Help me, and I will return your satchel to you when we get there.”

 

“So you’re asking me to bust you out of here and get you all the way back to the capital, then find your sister? That’s it?”

 

“That is all I ask.”

 

“Alright, uh, Big problem here, Fenris - I’m a wanted man. A  _ very _ wanted man.”

 

“That concerns me little.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Ryder sighed, looking down. He would have pinched the bridge of his nose, had his hands not been bound to the chair still. He shook his head a bit, thinking it over. Was it worth the risk? Was it really? If he had been living alone then found out Bethany was out there somewhere, his sister… he would want to meet her too. He’d want to travel to where she was no matter the risk just to see her and be the brother she never knew she had. 

 

If not for his freedom and the crown, he’d do it for Fenris and his sister.

 

“Fine,” Ryder said, looking up, “You have my word. I’ll help.”

 

“I-” Fenris began, looking to Ryder for only a moment before his eyes dropped back to the floor, “Thank you.”

 

“I’d want the same thing, were I you. Now, please release me and return my daggers; I’d really appreciate that.”

 

With a quick nod, Fenris walked over to where the daggers still lay on the floor next to the bed, picking them up and bringing them back over. He found their sheathes on Ryder’s back and put one back in it’s place. He used the other to carefully wedge between his skin and the ropes holding him and cut them. Ryder sat as still as he possibly could until all the confines were gone, taking back his dagger when Fenris offered it to him and putting it in the other empty sheath. He thanked Fenris quickly before he forgot to.

 

With a pained grunt, he stood up, stretching. He heard his joints crack and felt a bit light headed for a moment, but once he stood still, he felt much better. He sighed, flashing Fenris a smile before he asked, “Where do we go from here?”

 

“The window.”

 

“Wait wh- oh. Right, the window is the only entrance and exit.”

 

“Not entirely. There is another way in, but I’ve yet to find it.”

 

“That’s unfortunate, isn’t it. I suppose I’ll go first then, and you’ll come down on your own once you retrieve my satchel to return to me once we’re in the capital?”

 

“You will wait?”

 

“You have my word, Fenris.”

 

“...Alright.”

 

Ryder nodded and went over to the open window, looking out over the grove. It was a beautiful place - he could stare at it for hours - but the issue with it was that the ground was just so far down. He hated to look down on it, knowing he’d have to climb all the way back down by the wall. That would take so much work, and he’d put that work into it only moments ago. Now he had to get down without falling. Perfect.

 

He unsheathed his daggers, looking at them sadly. He’d have to sharpen and polish them after they got somewhere safe to apologize for putting them through this newfound torture. He got up on the windowsill, leaning down to stab a dagger into the stone. He then eased himself out the window, hanging only by that support. He then put the other one in a bit below and moved to that support, pulling the first out and moving it lower. He used his feet to take some weight off his poor, poor daggers, and repeated this process about halfway down the towerside before he sighed, looking up to the window again. How long had he been going at this? Surely Fenris should have began his descent down by now. 

 

“Are you coming, Fenris?” Ryder called, confused.

 

Seconds later, a long, white piece of fabric began flying down from the window, starling Ryder enough that the let out a yell and pressed himself to the wall. He watched it fall to the ground, the wind gently pushing it away from the wall of the tower. Ryder looked back up to the window to see Fenris standing in it, holding onto the fabric and looking out over the grove. His hand very gently let go of the fabric as he let out a breath, and Ryder could tell in that moment he was feeling hesitant. Who wouldn’t in Fenris’ situation, really?

 

“You really should have told me you had something to get down with -” Ryder started before trying to shift a dagger, grunting with the effort it took to remove it from the stone, “That would have made my life a whole lot easier and my blades a whole lot sharper.”

 

Fenris looked down to him for a short moment, a smug smirk on his face. Ryder stuck his tongue out at him, knowing he was being childish but not wanting to push the matter at all. He received a look of confusion in return before Fenris looked back up, taking hold of the fabric with a newfound determination and bringing his other hand up to take it as well. Then Fenris jumped, holding onto the fabric tightly as he began his quick descent downwards. He zipped past Ryder, who looked behind him when he felt the rush of air past him. He watched as Fenris reached over and grabbed the other end of the fabric, letting it slow his descent down. 

 

Ryder then realized that the fabric made a whole loop, and it acted sort of like a pulley. It was brilliant, really, that they had come up with that way to get in and out. He smiled in appreciation, putting the thought in the back of his head. That could be useful for the Red Thorns, and he was always more than happy to relay the information. 

 

He continued his descent downwards, trying not to think too much about anything when he heard from below him, “You  _ are _ allowed to use it, Hawke.”

 

The fabric was definitely tempting, and it would spare his weapons any more damage. He thought a moment before yelling, “Thank you!” and taking one dagger from the tower’s wall. He put it in its sheath, reaching over and taking the fabric in his free hand. It only took a moment for Ryder to realize that when he took the other dagger out, he would begin to fall the rest of the way to the ground. He felt a small bit of panic at the thought, but when he looked down, Fenris had a tight grip on the other end of the fabric. That reassured him enough to pull his other dagger from the tower and place it back in his sheath. He didn’t even move. He just hung in his place, both hands now holding him up.

 

“I’m letting go,” Fenris warned, eyes on his hands.

 

“Do it,” Ryder confirmed, holding onto the fabric so tightly his knuckles were chalk white. 

 

And then he fell.

 

It was quick and fast and sudden, and he was sad to admit he screamed. He held onto the fabric for dear life, screaming as he looked to the ground. It grew closer by the second, and he was already bracing for sudden impact. Only, he didn’t collide with the ground at all. About ten feet above it, Ryder was pulled to a stop by Fenris, who let his hands close around the strand of fabric once more.

 

He was slowly lowered to the ground while the tried to catch his breath, letting out a sigh when his feet touched solid ground. He let go of the fabric at the same time, looking over to him. Fenris did the same, green eyes locking with his own for only half a second. 

 

“Uh…” Ryder began, not really knowing what to say, “Are your hands alright? That had to hurt at least a little.”

 

“What?” Fenris asked, genuinely confused for a moment before looking down at his hands and realizing what Ryder meant, “Oh. I am… I am used to it. It isn’t a bother.”

 

“Are you sure? I might have something I could let you put on them to help with the burning and all--”

 

“No need, but I appreciate your concern.”

 

An awkward silence fell over them now, the two of them not sure how to continue on in conversation. This was what it was going to be like the whole first leg of the trip, wasn’t it? Just awkward comments and awkward silences? That was weird to think about, as he usually always had some sort of friendly conversation going on during his travels. With Fenris, it seemed he wouldn’t get that priveldge. At least not for a while. 

 

“I am pleased my escort is so afraid of heights,” Fenris teased, a small smirk on his face as he tried to lighten the uncomfortable mood now settling over them.

 

“I’m not afraid of heights,” Ryder huffed crossing his arms, “I’m not, however, a huge fan of falling from incredulous heights.”

 

“Call it what you will,” Fenris chuckled, taking the fabric back in his hands only to hold it out to Ryder, “It needs to be cut.”

 

Ryder unsheathed a dagger once again, and he looked at it’s surface. It was dulled now, but he would be able to fix it later. He should have no problem cutting fabric even so. With quick motions, Ryder began to break his way through the woven strands until it fell apart, breaking the loop. Ryder then assisted Fenris in pulling all of it down from it’s hook above the window, which Ryder hadn’t even realize was there before, and to the ground with them. 

 

Together they gathered it up, and Fenris lead the way to a small wooden door, clearly not large enough for a person to fit through, on the side of the tower. He opened it and shoved the fabric into it, saying, “It’s kept here when it needs mending.”

 

“You use this method often?” Ryder asked curiously.

 

“It is the only way in and out. We have to.”

 

“It’s quite smart.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Once all the fabric was inside the door, Fenris shut it, looking up to the tower one more time. He turned away and sighed, gaze falling to the ground as he shuffled his feet just a bit. He then moved over to the small stream Ryder had noticed from earlier, stepping into it and looking around the grove.

 

“I keep forgetting what it feels like to be out here,” Fenris admitted quietly, moving his hair from his face, “I keep forgetting how wonderful it is.”

 

Ryder took one last look around as well, eyes landing on a patch of flowers and dandelions. He smiled a bit and moved over to them, picking some of the flowers as carefully as he could as well as a dandelion. He brought them over to Fenris, his smile widening as he held the small bouquet of flower out to him.

 

“Welcome to Kirkwall, Fenris,” He said, genuinely and softly, “There’s much more where this came from.”

 

Emerald eyes went from the flowers to Ryder for a short moment before Ryder noticed a light blush across Fenris’ cheeks. Fenris took the flowers, looking them over a bit. He started to look up to Ryder, but his eyes fell back to the flowers as he mumbled, “Thank you.”

 

“Here, take this too,” Ryder said, offering the dandelion, “Make a wish and blow on it.”

 

“What is the purpose of that?” Fenris asked, taking the dandelion regardless of how he understood it. 

 

“If I’m being honest, I’m not really sure. It’s fun anyways, so do it. Who knows, maybe your wish will come true, whatever it is. Oh- Oh, and before you say anything, don’t tell me. Then it won’t come true at all. That’s how it works.”

 

“Is… is it magic of sorts? I know some plants hold magical properties.”

 

“No, no, it’s just something fun you’re taught as a child. You do the same with shooting stars, or with birthday candles at your birthday. You make a wish but you don’t say it, because saying it will make it not happen.”

 

“It seems frivolous.”

 

“Well you don’t have to if you don’t want to-”

 

“I never said I would not try it,” Fenris responded, not letting Ryder respond before he blew on the fluff on top of the dandelion stem. 

 

Ryder smiled as they both watched the fluff fly off through the grove, almost getting lost in the beauty of seeing them in the scenery before Fenris cleared his throat.

 

“We should move on,” Fenris pointed out, dropping the stem.

  
“I’ll lead the way,” Ryder said, and with that, the two started to leave the grove, not looking back.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! I'm already working on the next one.


End file.
